KARNATAKA'S STANDALONE HATE SPEECH BILL FACES HEADWINDS

KARNATAKA'S joint legislature in December passed the country's first standalone hate speech legislation that is decidedly more stringent than provisions of an omnibus Central law.

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However, the drafting of the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, drew sharp criticism from experts and a section of the political class over vague phrases and disproportionately harsh penal provisions. It is now pending before Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot for assent.

The trigger for the bill came from a surge in hate speeches inciting violence over the past three years, especially in the communally sensitive coastal Karnataka region from Mangaluru to Karwar comprising of Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor and Bhatkal.

The killing of a Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, with criminal antecedent, in Mangaluru, in May 2025 by a gang as revenge for his alleged key role in the murder of Mohammed Fazil in July 2022 became the flashpoint.

State home minister Dr G Parameshwara defended the bill saying although the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023, has sections against hate speech and crime, they were not harsh enough. He said the Supreme Court too had opined that such criminal offences be dealt with an iron hand as they contribute to disharmony in society. However, the BJP termed it 'draconian', charging the government with wanting to create a "police state".

It said the bill curtails the freedom of expression, a fundamental right, and gives the law enforcement force the licence to oppress political adversaries.